Nikhil Kaza
110 New East, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3140
Education
2008 Urbana Champaign Ph.D. in
Regional Planning (University of Illinois)
2007 Urbana Champaign M.S. in
Applied Mathematics (University of Illinois)
2004 Urbana Champaign M.U. P. in
Urban Planning (University of Illinois)
2001 Kharagpur, India B.Arch (Hons.)
in Architecture (Indian Institute of Technology)
Experience
Jul 2021 - Present University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill Professor (Department of City
& Regional Planning)
Jul 2021 -Jul 2024 University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill Director (Center for Urban &
Regional Studies)
Jul 2016 - Jul 2024 University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill Adjunct Associate Professor
(Environment, Ecology & Energy Program)
Jan 2019 - May 2019 Ecole Polytechnique
Fédérale de Lausane Host Professor (School of
Architecture, Civil & Environmental Engineering)
Jul 2015 - Jul 2021 University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill Associate Professor (Department
of City & Regional Planning)
Jul 2015 - Jul 2017 University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill Associate Chair (Department of
City & Regional Planning)
Jul 2009 - Jul 2015 University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill Assistant Professor (Department
of City & Regional Planning)
Jan 2012 - Jul 2016 University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill Adjunct Assistant Professor
(Curriculum of Ecology & Environment)
Jan 2008 - Dec 2008 Washington, DC
Sustainability Systems Modeler (EDAW Inc.)
Nov 2007 - Jun 2009 University of Maryland at
College Park Post Doctoral Fellow (National Center for
Smart Growth Research & Education)
Awards and Honors
2023 ____ Distinguished Teaching Award for
Post-Baccalaureate Instruction (Shortlist) (UNC Chapel Hill)
2018 ____ Excellence in Doctoral Education
(Department of City and Regional Planning, UNC Chapel Hill)
2017 ____ Schwab Academic Excellece Award (Institute
for the Arts and Humanities, UNC Chapel Hill)
2012 ____ Progress Energy Fellowship (Institute for
the Environment, UNC Chapel Hill)
2008 ____ Department Excellence Award (Department of
Urban and Regional Planning, University of Illinois at Urbana
Champaign)
1993 ____ National Merit Scholar (Ministry of Human
Resources, Government of India)
Grants
I have acquired (in most cases jointly) $3.7 million in research grants.
Publications
Refereed Journal Papers
According to Google Scholar, the 44 articles (co-)authored by me have been cited 2,400 times.
Khanal, K., Lowe, N., & Kaza, N. (2025).
Retraining for energy transition: A workforce development approach
using occupational similarity and unsupervised clustering.
Economic Development Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891242425135274
Branham, J., Salvesen, D., Kaza, N., & K.
BenDor, T. (2024). A wrench in the machine: How subsidy removal
alters the politics of coastal development. Journal of the
American Planning Association, 90(1), 18–29. https://doi.org/10.1080/01944363.2022.2119156
Hino, M., BenDor, T. K., Branham, J., Kaza, N.,
Sebastian, A., & Sweeney, S. (2024). Growing safely or
building risk? Journal of the American Planning
Association, 90(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/01944363.2022.2141821
Kaza, N. (2024). Multiclass compactness index for
urban areas. The Professional Geographer, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/00330124.2024.2328689
DiCarlo, M., Berglund, E. Z., Kaza, N., Grieshop,
A., Shealy, L., & Behr, A. (2023). Customer complaint
management and smart technology adoption by community water
systems. Utilities Policy, 80, 101465. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jup.2022.101465
Li, C., Song, Y., Kaza, N., & Burghardt, R.
(2023). Explaining spatial variations in residential energy usage
intensity in chicago: The role of urban form and geomorphometry.
Journal of Planning Education and Research,
43(2), 317–331. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2017.10.007
Branham, J., Kaza, N., BenDor, T., Salvesen, D.,
& Onda, K. (2022). Removing federal subsidies from high-hazard
coastal areas slows development. Frontiers in Ecology &
Environment, 20(9), 500–506.
Kaza, N. (2022). Landscape shape adjusted
compactness index for urban areas. Geoforum,
87(1399-1409). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-020-10262-9
Wang, J., Kaza, N., McDonald, N. C., &
Khanal, K. (2022). Socio-economic disparities in activity-travel
behavior adaptation during the COVID-19 pandemic in North
Carolina. Transport Policy, 125, 70–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2022.05.012
Branham, J., Onda, K., Kaza, N., BenDor, T. K.,
& Salvesen, D. (2021). How does the removal of federal
subsidies affect investment in coastal protection infrastructure?
Landuse Policy, 102, 105245.
Kaza, N., & Nesse, K. (2021). Characterizing
the regional structure in united states: A county-based analysis
of labor market centrality. International Journal of Regional
Science Review, 44(5), 487–614. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/0160017620946082
He, M., Glasser, J., Pritchard, N., Bhamidi, S., &
Kaza, N. (2020). Demarcating regions using
community detection in commuting networks. PLOS One,
15(4), e0230941.
Kaza, N. (2020). Urban form and transportation
energy consumption. Energy Policy, 136, 111049.
https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2019.111049
Onda, K., Branham, J., BenDor, T. K., Kaza, N.,
& Salvesen, D. (2020). Does removal of federal subsidies
discourage development? An evaluation of the US coastal barrier
resources act. PLOS One, 15(6), e0233888.
https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0233888
Peng, K., & Kaza, N. (2020). Association
between neighborhood food access, household income, and purchase
of snacks and beverages in the united states. International
Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health,
17, 7517.
Pesantez, J. E., Berglund, E. Z., & Kaza, N.
(2020). Smart meters data for modeling and forecasting water
demand at the user-level. Environmental Modelling and
Software, 125, 104633. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2020.104633
Kaza, N. (2019). Vain foresight: Against the idea
of implementation in planning. Planning Theory,
18(4), 410–428.
Onda, K., Sinha, P., Stevens, F., Gaughan, A. E., &
Kaza, N. (2019). Missing millions: Undercounting
urbanisation in india. Population & Environment,
41(2), 126–150. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11111-019-00329-2
Peng, K., & Kaza, N. (2019). Built
environment and the purchase of fruits and vegetables in united
states households. Public Health Nutrition,
22(13), 2436–2447. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980019000910
Li, C., Song, Y., & Kaza, N. (2018). Urban
form and household electricity consumption: A multilevel study.
Energy and Buildings, 158(1), 181–193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2017.10.007
Qiu, S., & Kaza, N. (2017). Evaluating the
impacts of the clean cities program. Science of The Total
Environment, 579, 254–262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.11.119
Hartley, D. A., Kaza, N., & Lester, T. W.
(2016). Are america’s inner cities competitive? Evidence from the
2000s. Economic Development Quarterly, 30(2). http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0891242416638932
Kaza, N., Riley, S., Quercia, R. G., & Tian,
C. (2016). Location efficiency & mortgage risks for low-income
households. Housing Policy Debate, 26(4-5),
750–765. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10511482.2016.1159972
Kaza, N. (2015). Time dependent accessibility.
Journal of Urban Management, 4(1), 24–39. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jum.2015.06.001
McCarty, J., & Kaza, N. (2015). Urban form
and air quality. Landscape and Urban Planning,
139, 168–179. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2015.03.008
Zapata, M., & Kaza, N. (2015). Radical
uncertainty: Scenario planning for futures. Environment and
Planning B: Planning and Design, 42(4), 754–770. http://www.envplan.com/epb/fulltext/bforth/b39059.pdf
Kaza, N. (2014). Persons, polities and planning.
Planning Theory, 13(2), 136–151. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1473095213490687
Kaza, N., & Patane, M. (2014). The land use
energy connection. Journal of Planning Literature,
29(4), 355–369. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0885412214542049
Kaza, N., Tian, C., & Quercia, R. G. (2014).
Home energy efficiency and mortgage risks. Cityscape,
16(1), 279–298. http://www.huduser.org/portal/periodicals/cityscpe/vol16num1/ch16.pdf
Brookshire, D., & Kaza, N. (2013). Planning
for seven generations: Energy planning of american indian tribes.
Energy Policy, 62, 1506–1514. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2013.07.021
Kaza, N. (2013). The changing urban landscape of
continental united states. Landscape and Urban Planning,
110, 74–86. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2012.10.015
Kaza, N., & BenDor, T. K. (2013). Land value
impacts of aquatic ecosystem restoration. Journal of
Environmental Management, 127, 289–299. http://dx.doi.org./10.1016/j.jenvman.2013.04.047
Kaza, N., Lester, T. W., & Rodriguez, D.
(2013). The spatio-temporal clustering of green buildings in the
US. Urban Studies, 50(16), 3262–3282. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0042098013484540
Lester, T. W., Kaza, N., & Kirk, S. (2013).
Making room for manufacturing: Understanding industrial land
conversion in cities. Journal of American Planning
Association, 79(4), 295–313. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01944363.2014.915369
BenDor, T. K., & Kaza, N. (2012). A theory of
spatial systems archetypes. System Dynamics Review,
28(2), 109–130. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/sdr.1470
Kaza, N., & Hopkins, L. D. (2012).
Intentions, urban plans and information systems. International
Journal of Geographic Information Science, 26(3),
557–576. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13658816.2011.603337
Chakraborty, A., Kaza, N., Knaap, G. J., &
Deal, B. (2011). Robust plans and contingent plans: Scenario
planning for an uncertain world. Journal of the American
Planning Association, 77(3), 1–17. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01944363.2011.582394
Kaza, N., Knaap, I., Knaap, G. J., & Lewis,
R. (2011). Peak oil, urban form and public health: Exploring the
connections. American Journal of Public Health,
101(9), 1598–1606. http://dx.doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2011.300192
Kaza, N., Towe, C., & Ye, X. (2011). A hybrid
land conversion model incorporating multiple end uses.
Agricultural and Resource Economics Review,
40(3), 341–359. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1068280500002823
Kaza, N. (2010). Understanding the spectrum of
residential energy consumption: A quantile regression approach.
Energy Policy, 38(11), 6574–6585. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2010.06.028
Kaza, N., Finn, D., & Hopkins, L. D. (2009).
Updating plans: A historiography of decisions over time.
Journal of Information Technology in Construction,
15, 159–168. http://www.itcon.org./data/works/att/2010_13.content.03108.pdf
Kaza, N., & Hopkins, L. D. (2009). In what
circumstances should plans be public? Journal of Planning
Education and Research, 28(4), 491–502. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0739456X08330978
Kaza, N. (2006). Tyranny of the median: A
reflection on the participatory urban processes. Planning
Theory, 5(3), 255–270. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1473095206068630
Hopkins, L. D., Kaza, N., & Pallathucheril,
V. G. (2005). Representing urban development plans and regulations
as data: A planning data model. Environment & Planning B :
Planning and Design, 32(4), 597–615. http://envplan.com/epb/fulltext/b32/b31178.pdf
Book Reviews
Kaza, N. (2015). Review of Planning Support
Systems for cities and regions, by Richard Brail. Journal
of American Planning Association, 76(1), 123.
Kaza, N. (2015). Review of The Exposed City:
Mapping the Urban Invisibles, by Nadia Amaroso. Journal of
Regional Science, 52(2), 392–394.
Kaza, N. (2012). Review of Land Policy:
Planning and the Spatial Consequences of Property, by Benjamin
Davy. Planning Theory, 14(2), 212–224.
Manuscripts
Manuscripts in progress/submitted/accepted: 7
Branham, J., Kaza, N., & BenDor, T. (n.d.).
Do development disincentives influence land conservation
activity?
Cardwell, J., & Kaza, N. (n.d.). Extension,
densification, dispersion and stagnation: Patterns in urban
spatial development in metropolitan united states 2001-2021. In
Applied Spatial Analysis & Policy.
Donald, B., Lowe, N., Kaza, N., Brail, S.,
DeLoyde, C., Heatwole, K., Hernandez, F., Hill-Tout, K., K.and
Khanal, Planey, D., & Wang, J. (n.d.). The Dashboard is not
dead: Dashboards as effective tools in skills building,
sense-making and community collaboration. In Applied
Geography.
Kaza, N., Brookshire, D., Toledo, K., Perrit, M.,
& Murphy, S. (n.d.). Whose plan is it anyway? Energy
planning by american indian tribes in the united states.
Khanal, K., Kaza, N., Hino, M., & Sebastian,
A. (n.d.). Manufactured housing in north carolina: A computer
vision approach. In Environment & Planning B : Urban
Analytics & City Science.
Khanal, K., Kittner, N., Bradbury, K., & Garcia, H. (n.d.).
Characterizing solar PV exposure to flood risk in central and
coastal north carolina. In International Journal of Disaster
Risk Reduction.
Lee, H., Kittner, N., & Kaza, N. (n.d.).
Local ordinances and large-scale solar development in the united
states. In Energy Policy.
Book Chapters
Total number of chapters in collected volumes: 4
Becker, J., & Kaza, N. (2022). Tale of two
sprawls: Energy planning and challenges for smart growth 2.0. In
A. Chakraborty, R. Lewis, & G. J. Knaap (Eds.), Handbook
on smart urban growth (pp. 291–302). Edward Elgar.
Kaza, N., & Knaap, G. J. (2011). Principles
of planning for economists. In N. Brooks, G. J. Knaap, & K. P.
Donaghy (Eds.), Oxford handbook of urban economics and
planning (pp. 29–50). Oxford University Press. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195380620.013.0003
Kaza, N., & Hopkins, L. D. (2007). Ontology
for land development decisions and plans. In J. Teller, J. Lee,
& C. Roussey (Eds.), Ontologies for urban development
(pp. 47–59). Springer-Verlag. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-71976-2_5
Hopkins, L. D., Kaza, N., & Pallathucheril,
V. G. (2005). A data model to incorporate plans and regulations in
urban simulation models. In D. G. Maguire, M. Batty, & M.
Goodchild (Eds.), GIS, spatial analysis and modeling (pp.
173–202). ESRI Press.
Presentations
Invited Talks
Conference Presentations (Selected)
Khanal, K., Kaza, N., Hino, M., & Sebastian,
A. (2024). Characterising water service access in manufactured
home parks in north carolina. ACSP Conference - Seattle,
WA.
Lee, H., Kittner, N., & Kaza, N. (2024).
Factors in the cancellation of large-scale solar projects in the
united states. ACSP Conference - Seattle.
Khanal, K., Lowe, N., & Kaza, N. (2023).
Targeting occupations to retrain for clean energy workforce
development and implications for labor market dynamics. ACSP
Conference - Chicago, IL.
Khanal, K., Kaza, N., & Kittner, N. (2022).
Evaluating generalisation of deep learning computer vision models
for satellite data and global development. SatSummit.
Branham, J., Kaza, N., BenDor, T. K., & Onda,
K. (2021). Does subsidy removal reduce coastal development?
Measuring the effect of US coastal barrier resources act. ACSP
Conference.
Hino, M., BenDor, T. K., Kaza, N., Sebastian, A.,
Branham, J., & Sweeney, S. (2021). One step forward, two steps
back: Managing floodplain development in north carolina. ACSP
Conference.
Hino, M., BenDor, T. K., Kaza, N., Sebastian, A.,
Branham, J., & Sweeney, S. (2021). One step forward, two steps
back: Managing floodplain development in north carolina (invited).
American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting - New Orleans,
LA.
He, M., Glasser, J., Pritchard, N., Bhamidi, S., &
Kaza, N. (2019). Community detection in strongly
self-looping weighted networks. Statistical Inference on
Network Models - Burlington, VA.
Kaza, N. (2019). Urban form and transportation
energy consumption. ACSP Conference - Columbia, SC.
Onda, K., Branham, J., BenDor, T., Kaza, N.,
& Salvesen, D. (2019). Does removing federal infrastructure
subsidies discourage development. Third International
Conference on Natural Resource Management and Public Policy -
Wuhan.
Peng, K., & Kaza, N. (2019). Effects of
street connectivity and duration of exposure on visits to fast
food restaurants: A GPS based case study of atlanta region.
ACSP Conference - Columbia, SC.
Gadiraju, K. K., Vatsavai, R. R., Kaza, N.,
Wibbels, E., & Krishna, A. (2018). Machine learning approaches
for slum detection using very high resolution satellite images.
2018 IEEE International Conference on Data Mining Workshops
(ICDMW), 1397–1404. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICDMW.2018.00198
Kaza, N., Sinha, P., Stevens, F., & Gaughan,
A. E. (2018). The missing millions: Undercounting urbanisation in
india. World Congress of Regional Science Association
International.
Li, C., Song, Y., & Kaza, N. (2016).
Residential energy consumption: A structural analysis of chicago.
ACSP Conference - Portland, OR.
Kaza, N. (2014). Whose plan is it anyway? Energy
planning by american indian tribes in the united states. 53rd
ACSP Conference.
Kaza, N., Knaap, G., & Hopkins, L. D. (2014).
Vain foresight: Against implementation. ACSP Conference -
Portland, OR.
Kaza, N. (2013). Industrial land transformation
in cities. Urban Affairs Association.
Kaza, N., Tian, C., & Quercia, R. (2013).
Home energy efficiency and mortgage risks. ACEEE Finance
Forum.
Brookshire, D., & Kaza, N. (2012). Sustaining
the seventh generation: Strategic energy planning of american
indian tribes. 2012 Society of Government Economists.
Kaza, N. (2012). Persons, polities and planning.
26th AESOP Conference.
Kaza, N. (2012). The changing urban landscape of
united states. 50th WRSA Conference.
BenDor, T., & Kaza, N. (2011). Land value
impacts of aquatic ecosystem restoration: An analysis of the
research triangle region of north carolina. 51st ACSP
Conference.
Zapata, M., & Kaza, N. (2011). Scenario
planning for uncertain futures: Incorporating multiple futures and
multiple publics. 51st ACSP Conference.
Blohm, A., Becker, J., Kaza, N., Knaap, G.,
Moglen, G., & Ruth, M. (2010). Envisioning a sustainable
maryland: Comparing alternative development scenarios considering
energy con- sumption and water quality. 49th WRSA
Conference.
Kaza, N., Towe, C., & Ye, X. (2010).
Scenarios using land conversion model for multiple land uses.
50th ACSP Conference.
Knaap, G., Kaza, N., & Lewis, R. (2010).
Density and public health: It is not that simple. 50th ACSP
Conference.
Kaza, N., Knaap, G. J., & Clfiton, K. (2009).
Economic scenarios and development patterns in the
baltimore-washington region. 49th ACSP Conference,.
Kaza, N., Towe, C., Ye, X., & Thapa, B.
(2009). An economic model of land conversion incorporating
multiple land uses. American Agricultural Economics
Association Annual Meetings.
Knaap, G., Chakraborty, A., & Kaza, N.
(2008). Planning a new era in the smart growth state: A primer on
state development plans. 2008 ACSP-AESOP Joint Congress.
Kaza, N. (2007). Plans in decision support
systems and decisions in planning support system. 48th ACSP
Conference.
Kaza, N., Finn, D., & Hopkins, L. D. (2007).
Updating plans: A historiography of decision over time. In C.
Tweed (Ed.), COST 21 second towntology workshop.
Calderón, J., Froment, A. de, Donaldson, M., McInery, G., &
Kaza, N. (2006). Games on evolving networks.
Proceedings of Complex Systems Summer School at Santa Fe
Institute.
Donaghy, K. P., & Kaza, N. (2006). The value
of waiting: A primer on option value for planners. 47th ACSP
Conference.
Kaza, N., & Hopkins, L. D. (2006). In what
circumstances should we plan in public?,. Second World
Planning Schools Congress.
Kaza, N., & Hopkins, L. D. (2006). Ontology
for land development decisions and plans. Ontologies for Urban
Development: Interfacing Urban Information Systems.
Kaza, N., & Hopkins, L. D. (2006). Reasoning
with plans: Semantic relationships among interde- pendent and
contingent landuse plan. 47th ACSP Conference.
Kaza, N. (2005). Deliberations between experts
and laity: An approach to building planning information systems.
UCGIS Summer Assembly.
Hopkins, L. D., Kaza, N., & Pallathucheril,
V. G. (2003). Planning markup language: Representing the meanings
of plans and regulations. ACSP-AESOP Joint Congress.
Teaching Activities
Instructor
Dissertation Committee Chair
Dissertation Commmittee Member
Comprehensive Exam Commmittee Member
Danielle Spurlock(2014), Louis Merlin(2014), Kevin Park(2015), Mac Howlett(2016), Chaosu Li(2016), Lilah Besser(2017), Allan Fryer(2017), Kristin Frescoln(2017), Erik Vergel(2017), William Bishop(2018), Ke Peng(2018), Henry Mckoy(2018), Allison Forbes(2018), Lindsay Mauer(2018), Yan Chen(2020), Jane Zhao(2021), Helena Cardenas(2022), Jordan Branham(2022), Nora Schwaller(2022), Matthew Wilson(2022), Alfredo Rojas(2022), Lindsay Oluyede(2022), Tibor Vegh(2024), Amanda Ullman(2024), Xijing Li(2024), Jo Kwan(2024), Julia Cardwell(2024), Kshitiz Khanal(2025), Yang Yang(2025), Jun Huh(W), Joshu Shih(W), Kristin Vitro(W), Matthew Palmer, Christopher Samoray, Megan McIntyre, Huijoo Shon, Heerae Lee, James Collins, Yuhua Wang
Service
Other Professional Activities
Reviewer for
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